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In Ukraine, only the first steps to establish a telemedicine network. It will promote the availability of highly specialized medical services for patients living in regional capitals or come for a consultation from distant parts of Ukraine. Establishment of a national telemedicine consultation and diagnostic system will be a significant impetus to the creation of uniform information space of health.

Telemedicine industry - is a medical practice with interactive audio-video communication systems without the usual physical interaction doctor-patient relationship. Telemedicine does not replace a doctor and not an alternative. In fact, telemedicine improves the efficiency expert and extends its capabilities to be in the heart of medical practice. The introduction of telemedicine can save up to 40% of healthcare costs.

Three years ago, Ukraine had established the State Clinical Research Center for Telemedicine Ministry of Health. Assigned to it by the scientific and methodological support and guidance to the implementation and development of telemedicine. Chief medical officer of the Center for Telemedicine Vitaly Ostashko gave interview to UNIAN.

Vitali, tell us more about telemedicine. At what level she is now in Ukraine?

The essence of telemedicine - a remote consultation, remote access to high quality medical care with modern means of telecommunications, in particular the Internet.

This is one of health care services for people and for organizations, it includes not only simple advice, but also conferences and consultation, and this translation workshops, surgeries, and any activities aimed at teaching, research. Telecommunications can also be used administratively to solve management problems - in case of emergency, to communicate with managers.

As of today (one year of work) in Ukraine created a national telemedicine network core - this is the Ministry of Health, National Center for Telemedicine in Kiev (the only state specialized institution), Donetsk and Transcarpathian (Uzhgorod), regional hospitals, Republican Hospital of Crimea (Simferopol ), is also already connected to the leading specialized institutions. Already built a kind of coordinate system is set system of relationships. Now, here joined by the other institutions, this experience is extrapolated to other regions.

As you work? After all, our country does not even have the regulatory framework regarding telemedicine.

Unfortunately ... Last year saw the release of the first order of Ministry of Health for the development of telemedicine, which puts the main priorities, rules of the game. Certainly, the results exploit the established system, we will adjust those rules to change.

I think at a higher level, it is necessary to introduce such a thing as a telemedicine service. They are interested and private clinics, insurance companies, which will soon become active participants in the market of medical services.

About Telemedicine in Ukraine said long ago, why is not more words progressed?

For ten years there have been attempts to introduce telemedicine. But it did not go because all of us broke the harsh reality. You can create any number of interesting theories, but without the infrastructure base on which it must be realized, our predecessors could not.

We started with the fact that forms the basis of telemedicine infrastructure - a network of tele-centers / offices, connected by a modern high-speed communication channels. It is possible to overlay different communicative functions, in particular, and statistics. For example, the Ministry of Health, using the telemedicine network, may receive health statistics from all over Ukraine in real time, almost every day and have complete statistics. And what are the statistics - is forecast for the future and plan for tomorrow.

Tell me more about the project to create a telemedicine network in Ukraine.

The project "Mobile Health" is implemented by MTS and the Ministry of Health with the support of the UN Office in Ukraine. The project allows physicians from different regions of the "live" talk to each other directly from the workplace, which greatly simplifies the process of medical consultation, training and sharing experiences.

Generated network allows doctors and patients to medical facilities in an online diagnostic data transfer, receive counseling specialists, collect council of physicians, to participate in conferences without leaving your office. All this reduces the cost of travel, paper, organizing consultations and medical care in remote regions and rural areas.

The project "Mobile Health" is a service dedicated access to the Internet, which provides telecommunications company based on a fixed fiber optic network. The operator provides a complete solution "turnkey": produces work of switching and the construction of the "last mile" for each of the key points, including network design, construction, tuning and maintenance. At the same time, our partner provides medical facilities with necessary equipment for videoconferencing, buys special software to transfer medical data, and also provides free service dedicated access to the Internet.

Is there any visible results of the project?

In reality, this project, we started to work half a year ago. Therefore it is impossible to talk about large scale use of telemedicine. But we all do in order to exploit its potential in all areas.

For six months we have consulted about a hundred children, mostly from heart surgery. In the near future want to expand services for pediatrics, neurosurgery, Shalimov Institute, the Cancer Institute. It will be a network of consultants. The network also consulted recipients gradually develop. This is the second-level institutions - regional district hospitals.

Helps you manage the business, how much the state itself is interested in developing this industry. How much money is allocated from the state budget for telemedicine?

Such large-scale projects such as tele-medicine is best realized in those countries where the government is actively funding such projects. Unfortunately, in Ukraine is that the situation is somewhat different.

Unfortunately, the computerization of the health care industry in recent years has a very low rate, but if we talk about telemedicine, how much I know, today the budget money for its development does not stand out at all. All that is done - done for the money private companies and foundations. Our major sponsor - MTS. Now joined by Akhmetov fund "Development of Ukraine" and DTEK ("Donbass Fuel-Energy Company"). This is very good. Will be able to more quickly introduce this service. I do not see until the problems in implementation. No delay in the financing, everything is done fairly quickly, the partners are the best solutions. Help us financially, organizationally. After all, any project requires not only funding, any very large part of the project depends on its ability to organize work and it is very important. By joint efforts we have been very well organized work.

I'd love to mention full support from the Ministry of Health and the Minister personally. Coincidentally, Vladimir Anishchenko, and as Chief oblupravleniya health, and to the post of Deputy Minister, give priority to issues of implementation and development of telemedicine and this project in particular. Of course, this gives us hope for a speedy implementation of telemedicine in the health care system.

Now, with the advent of major new sponsors - and Akhmetov's Fund DTEK is preparing to sign an additional agreement with the Ministry of Health, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the UN Office in Ukraine on the development of telemedicine in the health care system.

When creating the concept of telemedicine, our experts have relied on the experience of the civilized countries of the world? Which countries are leading?

Very effective and works for a long time telemedicine in the UK, Canada, the Scandinavian countries. There the state participates in the financing of major projects, and so they have achieved success kollosalnyh. The memorandum between the UN Office in Ukraine, the Ministry of Health and MTS, which was signed in 2010, I think the first real step in that direction.

Sure, not every Ukrainian patient knows that our country can benefit from such medical services such as telemedicine, its opportunities.

I am very concerned about the issue of awareness. Indeed, very few people know about the potential of telemedicine, such a lot and even among doctors. After all, with the help of telemedicine, people have the opportunity, in our difficult circumstances, with no extra cost to get to the advice in highly specialized institution.

Another important aspect - when people will know about telemedicine, it will form a market for such services. And then we will not be looking for sponsors, and we can not ask for state aid, the business itself, seeing the interest, generate investment. But today we are very grateful to those companies that are part of corporate social responsibility, can develop this area.

Especially as the development of telemedicine is fully consistent with the concept of health system reform in Ukraine and contributes to solving major problems - increased availability of high-quality, highly specialized medical care. No matter where the patient resides.

Our country has a high population migration, people are not tied to one place and do not always have the opportunity to get medical care at the place where you are. A telemedicine can get help from anywhere, to apply to any institution in Ukraine and abroad.

Which countries are you working?

We work with the university clinics in Germany, Israel, is now planning to collaborate with the United States. There generally are no boundaries. Moscow has long been working with hospitals and institutions. Recently, German experts conducted several video conferences for Ukrainian physicians. There are new methods, access to which is not due to financial problems. After training in the same Holland and Germany need thousands of dollars. Telecommunications forcing process. This is actually the master-classes. Two or three sessions of workshops and people are aware of any particular technique.

For a doctor it is very important. Any person without a recharge your experience losing skills, whether we like it or not. A doctor must always keep learning. This is a real sharing of best practices. We can learn everything new that is now in the world.

In Your opinion, this service will be popular among ordinary people?

The proposal creates demand. The population knows little about such a service as soon as we have formed a network of consultants, we offer this service. It will be useful, because people get to the problem tertiary institution from the district center. It is very difficult. Patients sometimes need to formally pass the "hell" to get the advice of leading medical institution. At times of illness may take years until the patient has access to the help that he needs. The ability to directly apply, of course, will push demand. Be willing to provide services, and will want to get them.

Do you have staff? As far as specialists have been trained?

Each institution, depending on their capacity needs in such a service can create or LAN (5-6 persons of the state), or the office - 2-3. Will be needed - the operator, physician, technician engineer or system administrator.

The issue of education is very important. However, it is not so deserted area, so that we do not teach this. This question is answered. And just by the telecommunication system - this will be a series of lectures and seminars. I think they will be carried out remotely.

What is for you to program the minimum and maximum program?

Program at least - a telemedicine network to be wound up in all the regional institutions, have in mind - in every area should have access to all 25 regions, and cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol have entered into the network. The second question - at whose expense will be further development of the telemedicine network at regional level. Most likely - the local budgets, sponsors ... The program maximum - the creation of a complete telemedicine system. In terms of health care reform is no other way. Only the prompt integration of modern technologies in the health care system can take medicine to a new level!

Which form of ownership, in your opinion, should belong to telecommunication systems in health care - private or public?

The state is unable to reach. It must create the rules, exercise the regulatory function. At any stage of the formation of the state should take more active part. Once it determines the policy development and creating conditions for effective use of any system. Today, in the beginning, not the state participates. Unfortunately. And it is here now and it should create a nucleus in a form in which it will be best for Ukraine. At the legislative level. What at first lay the structure of the system, so it will grow. Then it is very difficult to change, sometimes not realistic. State participation is mandatory. When the system is built, it must work independently and be self-sufficient.

And how it works in civilized countries?

In the West, the first stage of introduction of telemedicine has been on public investment, the proportion was highest. And the state decided how the system should be built and what problems should be addressed. Now these large systems have been operating not at the expense of budget funds.

Maybe it does telemedicine - that is expensive for Ukraine, which takes into account the difficult economic situation and many other problems?

With the help of sponsors we had a fiber-optic lines in a number of metropolitan institutions in Donetsk, Uzhgorod regional hospitals, to the republican hospital. Semashko in Simferopol. Specially made in these areas to cover all regions of the country. In fact, we already have a nucleus.

Donetsk, Uzhhorod Crimea, Kiev - is the foundation of a telemedicine network and it took about a million hryvnia. But here was a difficult stage - the first steps, first is always the most expensive. We have estimated today to cover the entire system of telemedicine Ukraine (25 regions, cities of Kyiv and Sevastopol), we need quite a small scale for the state total - just over 8 million hryvnia. This amount includes an optical fiber lines, work on the installation of special equipment for video conferencing software for organizations of counseling, all with a warranty. But the introduction of telemedicine can significantly save health care costs.

Given the urgency of the issues raised, we are counting on the support and adequate funding from the state of telemedicine as a promising trend in health care.

Sofia Paliy, UNIAN

Real address:

http://health.unian.net/rus/detail/221340